


Impossible Things

by RosexKnight



Category: Doctor Who, Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Crossover, F/M, Rumbelle Secret Santa, rss 2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-22
Updated: 2016-12-22
Packaged: 2018-09-11 02:57:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8951170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosexKnight/pseuds/RosexKnight
Summary: Prompt: Doctor Who Human Nature AU





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JunoInferno](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JunoInferno/gifts).



Belle French sometimes had the oddest of dreams.

Her entire body felt heavy as she lifted herself from her bed to start the day, her maid bringing her morning tea as she slipped on a robe and retrieved her journal. It took a moment for her to regain herself. Her pulse was still racing and her legs almost sore from the running. There was always running.

“Are you alright, ma’am?” Her maid asked as she presented her with a warm teacup. “You seem out of sorts this morning.”

“I'm fine, Ruby. Thank you.” Belle said. “Only a little tired.”

“More odd dreams?”

Belle nodded, taking out a pencil to begin writing, sipping her tea easily as she scrawled out the profile of a man she barely recognized. “We were being chased this time. By some sort of...something.”

“We?”

“My companion and I. There's always a companion...He seemed…”

“He?”

Ruby was grinning at her as she made the bed, and Belle rolled her eyes. If it were anyone else Ruby were being this familiar with, she’d have gotten scolded and tossed out long ago. But Belle didn't mind. She almost liked it.

“Open the curtains.” Belle said easily, steering away from the subject. A lady shouldn't have been dreaming of men. However, her thoughts were cut off by the ringing of a bell outside.

One by one, lines of boys filed in and out of the school, bustling about for morning classes. Belle stood to open the curtains herself as Ruby turned the bed down. In the crowd of black suits and robes she spotted a man with a cane making his way into the school. The smile that appeared on her lips was completely of its own accord.

Prof. Gold always used a cane. Whether or not he actually needed the cane varied upon the day. Sometimes he used it to help his walk, favoring his right leg. Sometimes he used it as an accessory, simply carrying it around wherever he went. There were rumors that he used it as a weapon, hiding a blade under the gold handle. Others said he preferred blunt-force trauma for his victims. Belle found it all quite laughable.

“He’s limping today.” Belle noted as the scholar passed from her line of sight and into the school. “I suppose I should prepare a hot water bottle for him.

“Suppose he limps because he just wants to see you.” Ruby said with a smile, re-filling Belle’s teacup. “I’ve heard of boys doing worse to get a girl’s attention.”

Belle only rolled her eyes again. “That’ll be all for the morning, Ruby. Thank you.”

“Yes ma’am.” Ruby said with a small curtsy.

As her maid left her room, Belle finished her tea and donned her clothes for the day. There were boys that needed attending to, and whether he was faking or not, Belle didn’t quite mind the thought of seeing to Prof. Gold’s leg. As Ruby had said, a boy could certainly do worse to get a woman’s attention. And Gold certainly had hers.

~

“Head in the clouds that one.” One of the professors murmured.

Professor Gold blinked, following his co-worker’s gaze to catch a flash of skirts who he knew must have been Matron French.

“Nose in another book?” Gold asked easily, nodding to Ruby and another maid scrubbing the floor as they passed.

“Always has her nose in a book.”

“There are worse things, Nolan.” Gold said with a shrug, leaning on his cane as the two turned to climb the stairs. “You know women. They always have a fascination with something. Your wife has her bird watching. Matron has books.”

“I suppose.” A smile appeared on the other Professor’s lips at the mention of his wife. “Anyway, I’ll be off. I have a meeting with Baelfire about the class he missed yesterday.”

Gold frowned. “He missed your class?”

“He was in the infirmary. Still. Can’t have boys thinking they can skip out on their education. We must keep up the discipline.”

“Aye, so they tell us.”

The two men chuckled, giving each other a firm handshake before parting ways on top of the stairs. Gold shook his head as he headed to the west wing of the impossibly large school. Then again, he supposed castles were supposed to be large. And it certainly looked like a castle. Of course, they'd seen bigger.

Gold shook his head as he rounded the corner. This was just another adventure. It would only take a couple more months and things would be back to normal and they could get out of this place. Or time, rather. He always got it messed up. Then again, that came with the kind of travel they did. Soon, they’d be back to that. They deserved a break. Perhaps they could find a nice library. She liked books. She’d mentioned a library once. One that took up a whole planet. It had seemed so impossible to him before but now…

His thoughts came screeching to a halt as he ran into something solid. He froze as the thud of a book hitting the floor sounded.

“Oh! Sorry!”

Gold gulped as her impossibly blue eyes peered at him over a large stack of books and it took him a moment to fall back into his role. “Matron. Let me…”

“No! No I have it!” Belle said, shaking her head as she put her foot over the book on the floor to stop him from retrieving it “Let me uh...oh how best to retrieve?” Gold smiled as she watched her spin around, searching for a place to place her books before turning back to him. “Could you just, uh…?”

“Of course.” He said, hooking the cane over the crook of his elbow to take the pile of books as she bent down to pick the leather-bound volume up. “So, how’s Baelfire? Prof. Nolan said he was missing from his class yesterday.”

“He’s feeling much better, though I think he’s missing his mum mostly.”

“We can’t have that.”

“No, but he’s much chipper now.” Belle paused, the silence stretching between them before she blinked. “Oh! You still have my books.”

Gold blinked, having almost forgotten. “So I do.”

“Sorry, sorry.” She reached for the pile.

“Why don’t I take half?” Gold suggested, leaning away from her. He’d happily carry the whole pile, but knew she’d object to it.

“Perfect!” Belle said with a smile as she took the top half into her arms, smiling that sweet smile she always wore for him. “We make a good team.”

Gold swallowed. “Don’t we just.”

They do. Or did. Even in this odd situation he found himself drawn to her. She was impossible when he’d first met her what seemed like years ago. It was as if she was placed from the sky itself, her little box showing up from out of thin air. It had brought with it trouble, an odd little invasion of monsters that were out of a Sci-Fi movie. But she’d kept him safe and out of trouble. She’d offered him one trip in return for helping her.

“Everyone gets one.” She’d said as she stood before her odd blue box. “Whole of time and space at your disposal. Where shall we be off to?”

He’d nearly choked. “Time?”

“Oh. Did I not mention it was a time machine?”

She’d gone from being impossible to extraordinary. Out of all the people she could have run into that day she’d started her investigation, it had been him. And then when the whole hospital he’d been staying in whisked itself to the moon it had been his arm she grabbed to drag on the adventure. Him who she’d given the smile to. Who could ever go back from that?

Belle was still staring at him. Her gaze was different now than it had been before. But her eyes were the same. His skin felt tight with how she was looking at him. How she always looked at him. But it wasn’t really HER was it?

“Were uh...Were these books going in any particular direction?

“Oh! Yes. This way.”

She turned to lead her towards what he knew to be another flight of stairs, towards her room. It was on the highest floor, and while some complained about the walk to the infirmary, she loved the view.

Belle glance back at him as they walked, and she smiled to herself, an odd little private smile that made Gold nervous. He hoped, of course, that any day now she’d come back to herself. Tell him that everything was fine and they could leave and go back to normal. Whatever that was.

“So I was right.” Belle said as they came to a bulletin board on the wall just before the staircases.

“About what?”

“You don’t need that cane.”

“Not...not all the time.” He said, caught. He should have been more thorough. “Its an old wound, you see, Matron. Comes and goes…”

Her nose scrunched. “When it’s just us I wouldn’t mind if you called me ‘Nurse French.’ Matron sounds so...dreary.”

“Of course, Nurse French.”

“Or even...Belle.”

He swallowed. “Belle.”

“My name.”

No it wasn’t, but oh did it suit her. “Of course it is.”

Belle hummed. “Can you dance?”

No. Not even remotely. “I...Haven’t in a long while.”

“Well I suppose you’ll get your chance soon.” His eyes turned questioning, but she only gestured to her left, where a flyer for the seasonal dance was hanging. “I can’t recall the last time I went to a dance. I’d like to go only no one’s asked me...”

Her eyes gave a hint of mischief, and Gold’s gut churned. He remembered the last time he danced with Belle. Only it wasn’t her, exactly. No, it was back in their early days, after the successful preventing of a bomb going off in the days of World War II and an incident with gas masks. She’d insisted the entire time she couldn’t dance, and then she’d all but melted into his arms as they glided around the console. If he concentrated, he could still feel the curve of her back under his fingertips.

At the memory, the words came tumbling out of his lips. “I’m...I’m sure you’d make an excellent dance partner. Were I to escort you I’d dare say I’d be lucky.”

Belle gave a quirk of her head. “Was that an official invitation?”

“I…”

“Because it doesn’t have to be. If you don’t want it. I’m sure you’re one for dances. I mean, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be. I imagine you would be. But if you didn’t want to…” She took a step back as she babbled, a blush playing over her lips. “But if you did I’d certainly love to...I mean if you didn’t I certainly couldn’t ask...Wouldn’t want to…”

Panic swelled in him as he took a step forward, but that only caused her to take another one back. “Belle, the stairs.”

“Stairs?”

“They’re right--”

He lunged forward as her foot caught the air that was under it. As she began to fall back his hand caught her waist, hauling her back to him. As they collided the books and papers they’d both been carrying fell away, scattering about the air, completely forgotten. Their breaths caught almost simultaneously, and Gold flinched at the way the light caught her face as she looked up at her in wonder.

“Thank you.” She said.

Belle was entirely too close. How long had he longed for her to be this close? She had given him a list of things to do and watch out for. Said it had all depended on him. But she had to have known he was a cowardly, selfish man.

“I uh...It was. An official invitation.” He said. “Though I think you were only half right about my leg.”

“Oh!” She gasped, pulling away from him and gathering the papers and books in a flurry of motion. “Come, come. Let’s get you upstairs.”

He found himself sitting on her settee, frowning as she looked over his bruised leg.

“It twisted when you caught me. Your cane might come in useful after all.”

“Of course it will.” He grumbled to himself.

Her room was exactly how he'd picture it'd be. It was kept neat and tidy by a maid, no doubt, but still cluttered with books and trinkets. He spotted a familiar pocket watch sitting on the mantle, and ignored it completely, willing himself not to let his eyes linger on it for too long.

“What's this?” He asked, pointing to a worn, leather-bound journal on the table near them.

“Oh.” Belle said with a sheepish chuckle. “It's...silly. I uh...I have odd dreams sometimes. And I've sort of...written them down in works of fiction.”

Warm hope swelled in his chest. “May I?”

Belle nodded, taking a seat beside him. It was all Gold could do not to lunge at the book. It was them. Their adventures. The enemies they faced sketched out in detail with notes written beside them in a haphazard fashion. He caught himself on a few pages. A pointy nose here, a word towards him there. She'd never suspect him with his limp, though. They always ran. If he couldn't run, there was no way her mind would connect the pieces.

“Wonderful imagination.” He commented, hurrying past the page with familiar eyestalks. “It's brilliant.”

“It's all very unladylike.” Belle said with a shrug. “But I do so like them. They're quite exciting. I'm an adventurer called The Traveler. She's mad, but so much fun. And quite often...Well, I dream that I have two hearts.”

There was a pause as she looked at him. He saw the doubt in her eyes as he flipped through the journal. Anyone else might have thought her mad, but oh if only they knew.

“Let's see then.” Gold said.

He was no doctor, but he retrieved the nearby stethoscope anyway. Slowly, he brought it to her chest, willing his hands not to shake. Belle seemed to be doing the same as she gazed at him, their eyes never leaving each other's. He felt her chest raise slightly as the stethoscope met one side of her chest, where her heart beat quickly. The other side was silent.

“Only one heart.” He confirmed. “You're completely human.”

“Well.” She breathed. “Thank goodness for that.”

“Aye.”

Belle was too close again. Far too close. And leaning closer still. He shouldn't. Gold knew he shouldn't. This would only complicate things. But her eyes were burning into his and all he could think was that, even now, it was him she was leaning towards as she sat beside him on her couch. Just like before. That had to mean something. She was so tactile, that even now her hand rested on his arm. She paused, searching him, giving him time to reject her. In the end, he closed the gap.

Their lips touched in a tentative, soft gesture, barely a brush of lips. His throat tightened, immediately realizing his mistake. However, as he tried to pull away, her lips followed his, pressing more firmly. She was insistent but obviously inexperienced as her lips slanted over his, and Gold’s head swam. He shifted closer to her, his hand reaching on its own accord to cup her cheek.

A knock sounded at the door, and they immediately flung themselves apart.

“Matron?”

“Yes yes come in.” Belle called, pushing away the blush on her cheeks.

The door opened and Gold stood to put more distance between them. A boy appeared, dressed in the coat and collar of the school’s uniform.

The boy pushed his unruly curls from his eyes. “I uh…” His eyes darted between the two of them, but then looked distracted. Baelfire always looked distracted. “You said I could borrow a book.”

“Yes!” Belle clapped her hands together. “Let me just find it…”

“I’ll uh...I’ll just be off, Nurse Belle.” Gold said, leaning on his cane.

He needed to get away. And probably down a glass of scotch. His lips tingled still. This was definitely not on the list.

~

Gold could only sneak away at night. It was a hassle, but the time they’d found themselves in demanded it. Luckily, no one questioned it as he walked out of the school and down a forest path to an abandoned building once used as a barn. Usually it was a quiet night of visiting the hiding place of the box that peppered Belle’s journal.

“That’s the box.” Her eyes said as they lit up. “The one I travel in.”

“Like a magic carpet?” Gold had asked, playing along expertly. It had been worth it to see her smile.

Normally it was comforting to see the TARDIS (“Time and Relative Dimension in Space. Don’t forget that.”) The lone console was dormant, but still seemed to hum as he pressed a button and the monitor sprung to life and Belle, no, The Traveler appeared on the other side.

“Alright.” She said, pushing a strand of hair behind her ears. “Rum, here’s a list of all the things to look out for. I didn’t want to leave you unprepared for this. One…”

His mind wandered as her voice chimed from the speakers. With the flip of a switch it was all-encompassing. Her odd little accent flitted over the words as she babbled about not getting in the middle of historical events or letting her eat certain foods. Her eyes were sparkling, though her smile often wavered. She knew what was coming. He still remembered the screams of agony that filled the ship as the...Chameleon Arch re-wrote her, making her Nurse French. The same Nurse French whose hands had brushed his the first time she’d handed him a book and who put up with his odd little way of checking on her every day even though she must have known he was faking his leg injury and who he’d fallen for just as easily as he’d fallen for the strange woman with two hearts.

He paused the feed, suspending the video while she was talking. With a sigh, he roughly flipped three switches, turning the monitor off and shutting down the console entirely.

“You got a right bloody sense of humor.” He said to the box as he ran his fingers through his hair. A few years ago it was longer and would have brushed the collar of the shirt her was wearing. Now, it was shorter, barely touching his ears. The silver strands that once peppered him were now much harder to hide, and he was quite aware of the wrinkles from stress his eyes and cheeks were developing.

Belle only thought she loved him. She must have. The Doctor had said herself that the TARDIS would write a story for her. He’d improvised, using her Psychic Paper to fake the credentials he’d needed to become a teacher at the school she’d become the nurse at. The kiss had just been nothing. Residual subconscious something-or-other. Still, he couldn’t be upset, even if he had ruined it all.

It soon became obvious that the visit to the box had been a rather bad idea, and Gold left just as quickly as he’d come in, slamming the door perhaps just a little too hard. He pulled his jacket tighter around himself as the chill of the wind picked up outside. His eyes caught something in the sky. Something bright that seemed to have fallen fast and close. But it was over just as it had come, and so he simply pressed on, back to the school.

~

Something was wrong.

Baelfire was a clever boy, though one that kept his head down. He was sometimes too clever. Knew things too well. He took guesses, and they turned out to be real more often than not. Truth be told, he hated it.

Just as he did now.

He’d hoped, of course, that the odd feeling he’d gotten in his gut when he’d first stepped into the Matron’s infirmary was wrong. That the odd pull he felt towards the pocket watch on the mantle was nothing. That, when he felt it again he could resist. But he couldn’t. He’d taken it and opened it and had been scared out of his wits as all manner of imagery flooded his mind. Echoes of an impossible life lived through time.

“Something wrong, Baelfire?”

Professor Gold’s voice broke him from his daze. He looked up from where he’d been walking, nearly colliding with the man on his way to morning target practice.

“No sir.” The boy said instantly. Because he’d been there too. “Nothing sir.”

“You sure?” Gold tilted his head at him. “You look out of sorts.”

“I’m fine, sir.” Baelfire insisted.

“Alright. But don’t be deliberately shoddy today. August is in a mood.”

“He hasn’t been himself.”

This caught Gold’s attention. His brow knit together instantly. “What do you mean?”

“He just…” Baelfire’s voice trailed off as he searched for the words. “Off, I suppose. Out of sorts.”

“Perhaps it’s the season.” Gold said, ruffling his hair. “Christmas will be soon, don’t worry. Off you go.”

“Yes sir.”

Baelfire caught how the tight line never left his lips, however, and when he walked the other way he wasn’t making use of his cane at all.

Something was wrong. And they were all part of it…

~

“Are you alright, Ruby?” Belle asked.

Ruby blinked from her duty of helping Belle lace up the back of her dress. “Ma’am?”

“You’re a million miles away.”

“Sorry ma’am. Just a bit distracted today. Y’see--”

A knock sounded, and the thumping of a cane could be heard as the door opened just before Belle gave leave to enter. The thumping of a cane was unmistakable, and Belle was quite happy when Ruby finished tying the bow at the back of her dress before Gold appeared.

“Belle.” He said, an odd look of relief coming over him. He then blinked, looking her over. “You look amazing.”

Belle gave him a smile, twirling for him. “Thank you.” She turned back to Ruby, suddenly serious. “You were saying?”

“It’s one of the maids. Cora...” Ruby said, glancing nervously to Gold, as if suddenly untrusting. “She’s been acting...not herself.”

Belle frowned. She didn’t know Cora well, but the woman carried herself quite differently than the other maids. She fancied herself a proper lady despite her role as a scullery maid with her two daughters. Something about the three women had always rubbed her the wrong way, though she could never quite pinpoint what. Beside her, Gold stiffened. His eyes were darting around the room, searching for something he couldn’t quite pinpoint.

“Might just be nerves.” Ruby said simply, offering a reassuring smile. “The dance has everyone on edge.”

Gold nodded. “Most likely.” He said simply, then cleared his throat. “Speaking of, shall we be off?”

Belle smiled as he offered her his arm. She gave a smile to Ruby. “Be careful tonight. You never know who lurks about at these things.”

Ruby only rolled her eyes. “Yes ma’am.”

The door of her room closed easily behind her as they made their way through the school. Belle frowned. Gold was quiet, his movements stiff.

“So, you’ll have to give me a fair warning. Can you actually dance?” She asked, the cool evening air making her cling closer to his arm.

He blinked, as if remembering something rather suddenly. “Can you?”

Belle’s mouth opened, but then snapped shut once again. “I’m not certain.”

Gold’s smile was small, but less tight. That, at least, was progress. “You’ll have to stay close and follow my lead then.”

“I’m sure I can do that.”

“You will, won’t you? Stay close to me tonight.”

His tone seemed nervous, and Belle gave him a small prod with her elbow. “Scared I’ll catch the eye of another young buck?”

“You’re acting as if I’m young.”

“Oh hush.” She chided. “Yes. I’ll stay right by your side.”

“Good.” His shoulders hunched with relief. “Good thing.”

Belle tilted her head. Gold’s legs were still stiff as they walked, but he was smiling, so she supposed that wasn’t so bad. Perhaps tonight wouldn’t be so bad. She’d simply have to chase away whatever dark cloud of doubt always hovered over him. If she were lucky, he’d grow bold enough to steal another kiss. Yes. Tonight would go just fine.

~

It all happened so fast. Too fast. His mind still reeled from it all even as he stood face to face with the enemy, clutching a very confused Belle to his side. The pistol was pointed to his head. His body was cold, chest heaving with panic.

They had danced the night away, their fingers woven together as they stepped in perfect rhythm. His fingers pressed against the curve of her back, perhaps a little lower than what was considered proper given the time period, but she didn’t seem to mind at all. And then they’d sat down and she was close. So close. Inching closer. It would have been perfect to…

But then the shot had rang out, and three figures stood before them, the adjacent wall crumbled. Cora and her daughters didn’t look particularly intimidating, but their eyes were icy and inhuman. The pistol’s first shot had been harmless. A simple diversion that made the rest of the room fall still. But now, there was no hesitation in where it pointed. They had found them. He had no idea how, but they had found them.

“Traveler.” Cora said, the taller woman’s eyes never leaving Gold’s. “What shall you do now?”

Gold tightened his grip on Belle, and she shook her head, glancing up at him. “I don’t understand. What do they want?”

“You.” Gold whispered.

Belle stilled at his side, and Gold eased his arm away from her, bringing it to his side. Belle clutched to his jacket still. Cora only smirked.

“You’ve done well to hide from us.” The body snatcher said again. “But time grows short.”

“Aye.” Gold said. “I suspect it does.”

Cora’s eyes grew cold.

“He’s cute, Mother Dearest.” Cora’s Daughter, Zelena, said from her left. “Seems a shame to kill him.”

“We won’t if the Traveler gives us what we need, Sister Dearest.” Cora’s other daughter said from her right. “Though I don’t see the appeal. All he has going is his hair. It brings out his eyes.”

“Daughter Dearests.” Cora said simply, making the two quiet immediately.

“I don’t understand.” Belle said, her voice quiet and shaky and scared. Gold had never heard her voice take this tone. “Cora, why are you doing this?”

“She’s human.” Gold said simply. “You’ve lost.”

“There is a trace.” Cora said, a grin tugging at her lips. “It might be scattered, but we can find it. In the meantime, you’ll come with us.”

“No…!” Belle yelped, taking a stumbling step forward.

Gold held a hand to her, stilling her instantly. “It’s fine, Belle.”

At least, he hoped it would be. They were found, but the Watch wasn’t. Truly, he had no idea where it had gone. He should have simply left it in the TARDIS. But it was too late for that, and time was short. They’d have to wait them out. That much he could do.

He took another two steps towards the trio. The odd family were grinning at him. However, the moment he was almost within Cora’s touch, another shot rang out, and the woman cried out, dropping her own pistol.

“Run!”

The voice came from their side, and he only had a moment to register Baelfire, his own pistol smoking with a fresh shot. Immediately, he grabbed Cora’s abandoned pistol as she hissed in pain from her wound. Belle barely had time to protest by the time Gold had grabbed her arm, hauling her in the opposite direction of the Family, running as fast a he could. Slowly, the sound of pounding feet faded to three sets of steps as they ran towards the one place Gold knew they’d be safe. If they could just make it to the barn with the TARDIS they’d be fine. They’d be safe, at least for the moment.

He did not miss the running in the slightest.

~

Belle’s mind was reeling. “What just happened?!”

“We have to get inside.” Gold insisted, his grip firm on her hand as he drug her closer to an abandoned barn.

The pistol was still in his hand, with Baelfire, a mere boy, brandishing one as well. A feeling of anger welled up in her chest, and she broke away. “NO!”

The two of them halted immediately, staring back at her in shock. She looked...frightened. It was the first time Gold had seen her frightened. She was usually so in control. So on top of everything. And yet there were tears prickling at her eyes.

“What is going on?!” She demanded.

Baelfire and Gold exchanged glances. He had no idea where the boy had come from, but he was quite grateful for him. Heaving a sigh, Gold produced her journal from her jacket. All of their adventures. All of their stories. All of her wrapped in a single leather volume. He pressed it to her hands, and saw the moment it dawned on her.

“They’re not stories, Belle. They’re you. They’re us.”

“Us.” Her voice was a mere squeak, and somehow that chilled him more than the night air. “You knew?” He nodded, and she turned to Baelfire. “And you too?”

Baelfire shook his head. “I guessed…” He said helplessly, reaching into his pocket, bringing out a pocket watch with all manner of circles engraved on it. “It sort of...called to me.”

Gold narrowed his eyes at the boy, fuming. “You opened it? You led them to us!”

“I didn’t know!” Baelfire protested.

“This ruins everything!” Gold snatched the watch from her hand. “She had a plan! We were to wait out their life cycle! They drop like mayflies. And now they’re here and they know what she looks like!”

“It wasn’t my fault!” Baelfire snapped. “I didn’t know who she really was!”

“Bloody hell…” Panic was setting in Gold’s veins as his eyes darted around for any sign of the enemy, but they only fell on Belle, hunched over and hugging herself, trying to hold herself together.

“I’m not real?” She squeaked. “You knew? And you simply sat there while we...While I fell in love with…”

Gold shook his head. “You left me a list. What to do and...it wasn’t on it.”

“Falling in love?” Belle gave a watery chuckle. :That never even crossed her mind? What kind of person is that?!”

“You know what kind of person she is…” Gold whispered, daring to take a step towards her. She set the watch in her hand. “This watch is her. You. Open it.”

“And what happens to me?!” Belle snapped, shoving the watch back at him. He didn’t meet her eyes. “I die. I die and you just...You just expect me to do that? Be her again? Some mad woman in a box.”

“It will all go wrong if you don’t.” Baelfire said. “You know that. You saw what they could do with just a pistol. Three people have died. There will be more.”

“They’ll build an army.” Gold confirmed. “That was on the list.”

“The boys could fight.” Baelfire said helpfully.

“Not against them.” Gold said. “They must have a ship somewhere. They wouldn’t stand a chance…”

“We could try!” The boy insisted. “We can stand and fight. We can try.”

“Their ship must be hidden by a cloaking device.” Belle said suddenly, and Gold’s head snapped to her. “Or perhaps a perception filter. Some sort of psychic energy distracting the world from it. Humans would’t notice it. They don’t notice anything. Everything just--”

She gasped, stumbling back, and Gold stepped forward to catch her. “That’s her…” He whispered.

“How could I not be real?” Belle sobbed. “When I kissed you was that a lie?”

“No!” Gold insisted, bringing his hands up to cradle her cheeks. “No it just...wasn’t her.”

Belle shook her head. “I’m not her.”

“You have to be.”

There was a thunderous boom in the distance, and their eyes fell to the large green light just near the school. A gust of wind blew from the impact, and Belle’s shoulders hunched, defeated. There was another rumble. Another flash of light. Her lip quivered, the grip on the watch wavering. Gold lingered forward, bringing her lips to hers. She clung to him desperately, as if trying to make them a singular, whole person. The kiss was salty, but perfect as their tongues and lips danced over each other. Visions danced behind their eyes. Visions of a marriage and a child and a life. A happy life with them waking beside each other in the mornings and holding each other at night. A perfect life. One just within reach and yet impossible. It was all impossible now.

“Open the watch.” Belle said.

“We could run.” Gold said suddenly. “We can leave.”

“I don’t want to run.” She insisted. “I’ll not let anyone else die because she chose this place on a whim. For once in my life, I’m going to do the brave thing.”

Gold swallowed, and with a nod, the pocket watch sprung open, and the golden glow mingled with the green lights of the alien light.

~

Another expression had fallen over the Traveler’s face that he’s never seen before. Rage. Pure, unhidulterated rage. He’d heard whispers of the wrath of a Time Lady, of course. But when she entered the TARDIS after what seemed like an eternity, he didn’t mention the way her shoulders slumped or the new lines over her eyes.

The Traveler slumped against the console for a moment, running her fingers through her hair. “Baelfire?” She asked.

“Exploring.” Gold said softly. “He was curious.”

“Everyone gets one.” She said with a nod, something akin to a smile appearing on her lips. When she turned back to him, she was beaming, but he knew a fake smile when he saw it. “You didn’t let me eat a pear did you?”

“Course not.” He said simply, coming to stand beside him.

It was completely second-nature to raise his arm and allow her to slide into his embrace. He held her close and tight, breathing in all of her that he could. He’d failed. They would never escape this. And worse, he’d ruined them. What fragile little thing that was between them was surely ruined now.

“Thank you.” Belle said. “For looking after me.”

“It’s no matter.” He said.

The Traveler’s smile returned, and she walked around the console, flipping a few switches and the TARDIS roared to life, the familiar wheezing sound signaling their leave. She’d take him away. She’d drop him off back home and he’d go back to his pawn shop and empty house. Perhaps, if he begged, she’d let him keep the journal.

“I uh...never knew you were such a good kisser, Rum.”

Gold blinked, freezing immediately under her gaze. “What?”

“You’re quite good.” She said, circling the console back to him. She was close, too close. “Did you mean it?”

“Mean what?”

“The kiss. The words. Everything.”

“I…”

“You said…” Her voice trailed off. “You said we could have that life.” His brow knit together. “Because...I could go back. Not to that time. But...We could start over. If you want…”

Rum Gold shook his head. “I don’t…”

“Well, that’s fine too.” She said. “I’ll take you home then...I’m sure, after that you don’t want--”

“No!” He’d grabbed her hand, stilling her from going anywhere near the console. “I...she was you.”

“Not really.” the Traveler said. “I’m not nearly that--”

“She was you. Not just your body but...you. I’m...I did it because I lo--”

Gold didn’t notice how close she was until she was pressed close to him, her lips against his. It was chaste, barely a brush of lips. He froze under her, stilling for a moment until his mind caught up and suddenly he was pulling her closer, crushing her body against his. Her curves melded to him perfectly and lord this was impossible. He’d fallen asleep and gone mad. But if that was the case, he never wanted to wake up.

He gave a whisper as she pulled away. But her hands went to his tie, loosening it before tossing it back. It landed limply on the console.

“It doesn’t need saying.” She said, her fingers ghosting over his shirt buttons. “Does it?”

“No.” He agreed, his fingers tingling on the small of his impossible girl’s back. He hissed as she pushed off his jacket and began unbuttoning his shirt. She was right. She was nothing like Belle. And yet he loved all of it. “Baelfire will…”

“Oh the TARDIS will keep him busy.” She said, then stilled. “Unless you’d rather wait. We can go--”

Gold cut her off by picking her up by the waist and twirling them, pressing her back to the wall of the TARDIS. The light shined behind her, making her glow. His lips were on hers instantly, re-memorizing her taste and touch as his hands undid her dress and pushed it away. It was messy and desperate and perfect as they kissed and clung and their noises of pleasure mixed against the humming of the tardis. She lifted a leg, hooking it around his waist. They were bare, skin-to-skin, and it made him moan when he slid into her impossibly wet heat. His noise was drowned out by hers, though, and it only excited him more. He thrust forward, seeking a way to make her make that noise again, wanting to hear it echo across the console.

“Rum.” She breathed, head swimming. He blinked at her, bleary-eyed and perfect. She ran her fingers through his hair. “I like it.” She said simply, and was rewarded by another thrust.

“I’m…” he whimpered. He had no idea how her Time Lady physiology worked. Couldn’t tell if she was close or if he was disappointing her or--

“Easy, sweetheart.” She cooed, meeting his thrust with her hips, causing him to hiss. She grinned. “We have all the time in the universe.”


End file.
